Men and Monsters
by Bobadoo
Summary: "You are not a monster, Erik, as long as you choose not to be," she said, touching his face gently. He sighed, wishing he could enjoy the feel of her skin. "The decision was never mine." Pre-First Class. Erik/OC
1. Auschwitz

Hello one and all! I'm a bit new to the X-Men corner of fanfiction but after seeing First Class, I had to write something.

Now, it does say Erik/OC but it's not exactly that. In the comic universe (which honestly I just know through Wikipedia) there was a woman named Magda that Erik did fall in love with. This story is simply my version of it to go with the new movie. Most if not all of the story is before the movie.

Enjoy!

**I own nothing. Unfortunately.**

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><p><strong>Chapter One<strong>

**Auschwitz**

Magda felt as though the world was moving in slow motion. She stared at the words looming above her: work sets you free. She did not know what to think of it but she felt herself clinging even tighter to her brother, Peter. Normally he would have shrugged her off or thrown some kind of rude comment at her but instead he acknowledged her need to get closer and gave her hand a tighter squeeze.

She looked up at her big brother and smiled. At sixteen years of age, light years ahead of her twelve, he was all she had. They had fled in the middle of the night from their home nearly a year ago, the sounds of gunshots chasing them in the darkness. Magda never saw her mother or father again and Peter refused to speak of them. She eventually became used to it, keeping her hopes and dreams of seeing the rest of their family again to herself.

Rain was falling, soaking her clothes all the way through. Her shoes and socks were caked with mud and the hat on her head, which was Peter's, was dripping water in her line of vision but she refused to take it off. Instead, she tried to ignore the drops and looked at her surroundings.

There were people on the other side of the fence to their right. They were working, paying no attention to them as they moved along. Most of them were terribly thin and they all wore these striped outfits that resembled pajamas. If Magda squinted, she could make out writing on their arms but she could not tell what it was.

"Peter," she whispered, tugging on his arm. "Who are they?"

"Quiet, Magda," he replied, voice stern.

"But Peter…"

"Ssh! Now is not the time." That ended the conversation there. Magda sighed and looked forward. Though she was small and could not see above anyone in front of her, she could tell that there was something going on ahead. There was much shouting. From what she could hear, people were being ordered around. A woman began to scream suddenly. Magda gripped Peter tighter. They managed to move a few more steps before a strong hand grabbed Magda by the arm and began to pull her away. Magda instantly struggled against the force that sought to take her from her brother, though it hardly affected anything.

"No! Peter!" she screamed, tears starting to run down her face, mixing with the rain. "Peter! Don't let them take me!" The soldiers separated them quickly. Peter tried to fight them but he was thin from hunger and tired from the journey. He stood no chance. They beat him down with a rifle and dragged his body away. Magda began to fight harder but the soldier lifted her up as though she was nothing more than a ragdoll. She screamed harder, calling for her brother, hoping he would rescue her.

Suddenly the sound of screeching metal caught her attention. For some reason, Magda fell silent then. She looked over to see a boy reaching out to the gates the others had just passed through. There were several soldiers around him, all trying to pull him away but somehow they could not.

The soldier that was carrying her noticed how quiet she had become. When he saw what was happening, he abandoned her right there and went to help the others. Magda, though free, did not move. She was frozen in place, watching the event unfold. The gates were starting to bend, as though an invisible hand were crushing them. She began to look between them and the boy, who was getting closer to them despite the number of men gripping his small body.

One soldier finally came up and knocked him out cold with the butt of his rifle. Everyone fell over then, as though a force they had been fighting was suddenly cut off. The gates ceased their movement as well, though now they were drastically different. The top and bottom were bent inward, nearly torn apart. He had almost succeeded in getting through, but now he was splayed unconscious on the muddy ground, a young, helpless boy once again.

This was the first time she met Erik Lehnsherr.

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><p>It was no longer raining on her, but Magda was cold nonetheless. She still wore her wet clothes and there was a cold breeze in the room coming from the doorway. After the soldiers had recovered, they took her and the boy inside an old, brick building, tossing them into a random unoccupied room, or cell. It was hardly big enough to be called anything else. The walls, ceiling and floor were made of concrete and besides the two of them, there was nothing else within. On the outer wall was one small window with bars to prevent escape and the door was solid metal with one small viewport for whoever wished to see them.<p>

Magda was huddled in the corner, gripping her knees tightly. Her eyes warily watched the still unconscious boy on the other side. He was very still but every now and again he would twitch and Magda would nearly scream. She did not want to end up like the gate. Occasionally her eyes would move to the door, waiting for it to begin bending in two but it remained as still and silent as the boy.

Another hour or so passed by. The rain ceased, giving way to a blue sky. The sun was starting to set, its orange glow entering the cell, the shadows of the bars resting on the door. Magda began to wonder where Peter was. Was he out there with the others or was he somehow in the building with her? She wished she knew.

The boy coughed and his eyes flew open. Magda gasped and went to cover up her mouth, hoping he had not heard. It was not as though she could get away with him never seeing her but a little more time before the inevitable sounded appealing.

He whipped to face her, scared by the sudden outburst of noise. They stared at each other a long time, both silent and terrified before the boy sat up, squinting as his head no doubt pounded with pain. He stayed that way for a long time, hand holding his head as though it were about to fall off. Magda just watched him, heart beating so fast she thought it might burst. Eventually the boy began to look around the room, taking in the new sight. He was older than her but not by much. His hair was the same dark brown but straight where hers was wavy and his eyes were a bright blue, unlike her dark brown. He seemed innocent enough but the sight of that gate kept creeping into her mind.

"How did you do that?" she asked, voice shaky and unrecognizable.

The boy turned to look at her, confused. "Do what?"

"The gate. You broke it like a toy." There was a moment of silence as he remembered the past events. He shook his head slowly.

"I don't know. It just…happened. I just wanted to get to…my mother!" He stood suddenly, though at first he was very unbalanced and nearly fell again. Moving to the door, he looked for some way to get out. Again, Magda expected the door to fly open without his touch but he did nothing of the sort. He just looked at it uselessly, shoulders sagging as he realized how hopeless it was.

Magda felt bad then. After all, he was in the same situation she was. Her fear slackened slightly, allowing her to loosen the grip on her legs. She stretched them out, knees grateful for the relief.

"They took my brother too," she said quietly. "He tried to fight them but…" She trailed off, unable to finish. Where was Peter?

He looked at her again, blue eyes inquisitive. "What about your parents?"

Magda shook her head. "They're gone." She found herself thinking of that night again though she tried her hardest not to. Sometimes she would still wake up in the middle of the night calling for them. Fortunately Peter would always be there to make the pain go away, but now he was gone too. Who would take away the terror now?

When Madga came back to reality, she found the boy sitting next to her. She jumped slightly but did not put her guard back up. There was a small smile on his face, warm and inviting. She had not seen many smiles over the recent years. It was nice to see one again.

"I'm Erik," he said, holding his hand out for her to take. Magda looked at it suspiciously for a moment but slowly reached her hand out to take his. She thought there would be some electricity or some other mysterious feeling accompanied with touching him but there was nothing. Shaking his hand was no different that shaking anyone else's.

"Magda," she replied, releasing his hand. She watched as Erik began to take his coat off. "What are you doing?"

"You're freezing." Magda looked at herself. Indeed she was shivering out of control. Her fingers had started to turn blue and her teeth were chattering at a rapid rate. She wondered how she did not notice. Erik placed his coat around her shoulders and Magda instantly felt warmer.

"Thank you."

Eventually the sun set behind the horizon and the room became dark, brightened slightly when a street lamp turned on just outside the building. Erik and Magda huddled close together, trying to keep warm. Magda had offered his coat back but Erik refused. She needed it more.

With her head on his shoulder, Magda eventually asked, "Erik, do you think we'll ever leave?"

"Yes," he said immediately. "Me and my parents and you and your brother. We'll all leave together."

It was that lovely thought that sent her to sleep that night.

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><p>Morning arrived sooner than either of them expected. Their shivering had finally given way in the dead of night, leaving the two quite comfortable as they slept on one another. Magda had wrapped herself up tightly in Erik's coat, enjoying the smell of pine that it gave off. It made her dream of a forest, far away from the cold, dark place she found herself in.<p>

The sound of the thick, metal door opening startled the two from their slumber. Bleary eyed and half conscious, neither had any reaction when the guards grabbed and dragged them to their feet. They walked side by side with two armed guards behind them down the narrow, twisting hallways of the building. Neither Erik nor Magda said anything but they would glance at each other now and again, fear of the unknown reflected in both their eyes.

Eventually they stopped in front of a door in the middle of a random hallway. It did not look much different from any of the others, save for the room number which was 235. One of the guards knocked and the door was quickly opened. A man stood before them, in his mid thirties perhaps. He wore a pair of thick glasses and had dense, slicked back blonde hair. His eyes, in true Aryan nature, were blue, though much darker than Erik's. He smiled, which she supposed would appear kind normally but to her it may as well have been the most terrifying thing she had ever seen.

"Ah, the new patients have arrived," he said, sounding giddy. Magda took a step closer to Erik.

"Patient, Doctor Bauer," replied the guard that had knocked on the door. "Doctor Schmidt has requested to see the boy."

"Schmidt," he spat. "He shows up one day and thinks he runs the place. I did not work all my life to get to where I am just so some Austrian can take my patients whenever he pleases. You tell him I won't be allowing this anymore. My work here is important."

"Yes, Doctor," the guard said, pushing Magda forward in his direction. Doctor Bauer grabbed her by the wrist and pulled her inside the room. She managed one last, terrified look at Erik before the door slammed shut behind them.

The room was pure white, bleached to near perfection. In the center was a metal table surrounded by several objects on trays. Magda could not come near to venturing a guess as to what they were. Something told her she did not want to know.

Turning to face her, the doctor kneeled down and looked her in the eyes. He seemed to be studying her. Magda tried to step away until he placed his hands firmly on both her shoulders, continuing to stare at her as if he were looking for something. She wished Peter was there.

"What is your name, darling?" he asked softly, smiling again.

"M-Magda," she whispered.

"Magda…what a pretty name. Do you know why you're here?"

"No, Doctor."

He chuckled. "Please, call me Uncle Bauer." She had an uncle once before the war started. He was kind and did not scare her as this man did. However, Magda did not want to be punished so she nodded in agreement.

"You're here to help me, Magda. What you and I accomplish together could save many, many lives," he paused, smiling wider. "Would you like to save lives, Magda?"

Magda nodded slowly. "Yes Doc-Uncle Bauer."

"Good…good. Now come with me," he said, standing up again and taking her by the hand. He led her over to the table. "You and I are going to get to know each other very well."

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><p>Reviews are much appreciated! :D Critiques are also loved. They improve me as a writer and flame if you wish. They benefit something, I'm sure. Have a nice day!<p> 


	2. Pain

Hello! As you can see, I changed my summary. I felt this one was a lot better. I'm just so picky. I'd like to thank everyone who read and review and alerted and faved and I think that's everything...I hope you enjoy this next chapter. I thought it would be longer but it turns out that I'm really dreadful at writing action scenes so it's shorter.

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><p><strong>Chapter Two<strong>

**Pain**

Magda found herself back in the cell a few hours later, humming a song. Uncle Bauer, a title that swiftly became much easier to use every time she said it, had given her a couple pieces of candy, including the piece of chocolate she sucked on now. She had not tasted sweets in so long. It was starting to give her a stomachache but she did not care. It tasted so good. However, she did remember to save a piece for Erik. To let him just watch her enjoy the treat would not be fair at all.

All Uncle Bauer had done was check her height and weight, amongst other things. It was stuff that a doctor would do normally. It made her feel much more at ease in this strange new world. He even said that she would get to see her brother again. It made her very excited, the prospect of everything being okay again.

The door flew open and Magda looked up with eager eyes. She wanted to share all of the good news with Erik. Maybe he had news that was equally pleasant but when she laid eyes on him, it was clear that his day had not gone so well. His eyes were red and puffy, his shoulders were sagging and he moved forward with the pace of someone who no longer cared. He was crushed to say the very least.

Magda swallowed her chocolate quickly and rushed forward to Erik. "What happened?"

In response, Erik simply dropped to his knees. He sniffed and whimpered, on the verge of tears again no doubt. Magda kneeled down as well, trying to get some kind of response from the boy. She looked him over, searching for any kind of physical injury but coming up with none. However, she did see in the palm of his hand a coin, the Nazi insignia clearly etched upon its surface. For some reason, she felt compelled to touch it and reached a curious finger in its direction.

"Don't!" he shouted, all hate, anger and pain combined into that one syllable. The force behind it caused Magda to withdraw to the wall, gasping in fear. At the same time, a deep _thunk_ could be heard. The once solid metal door now had a large indent in the middle of it, as though someone had punched it. Magda looked between the door and Erik for a very long time, torn between her fear and the need to comfort the pained boy in front of her.

She took a tentative step forward and then another. Erik flinched when she stood in front of him again, as though he were ready for a fight. He tried to back off but did not get far before she wrapped him in a tight hug. For a long time he struggled in her grip but Magda refused to let go. Eventually he gave in and began to cry into her shoulder, shaking as he sobbed.

"He killed my mother!" Erik cried, hugging her back tightly. "He killed her!"

Magda felt her heart drop, the good feelings from before all but gone. It made her question what she had gone through today. How could people that had taken them from their homes be so kind to her? She began to wonder how long it would be before she too would be like him. Would she see her brother again only to have him murdered right before her eyes?

She began to hold Erik tighter, if only to help herself feel better about it all as well.

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><p>Uncle Bauer, as it turned out, was not kind like her actual uncle. From that day on, he began what he called his medical experiments. To Magda, it was just torture. Some days he would only test how she reacted to physical pain, a prick here, a shock there. And while they were horrible to bear, that pain eventually went away. These were the days she prayed for every morning she woke up because the other days were when he would inject her. The number of injections varied, usually between one and three, depending on how she reacted to them. Sometimes she was lucky and it did nothing to her. Other times, she wished it would kill her.<p>

It had been two weeks since they arrived at the concentration camp. To both Magda and Erik, it had felt like an eternity. The only reason they had not gone insane yet was that every evening they could look forward to seeing each other again. If up to it, they would talk about home or what they would do once they got out. It was still very difficult for Erik to talk about his mother but sometimes the subject of her was the only thing that could make him smile, if only for a brief period of time. It was guaranteed that he would soon frown again, hatred filling his eyes, making them so much darker than they actually were. Sometimes it scared her.

That night was the worst yet. Magda did not have the strength to get back on her own two feet so the guards simply dragged her there. She did not feel the cold, concrete floor as she was pulled across it nor did she feel the strain on her arms as all her weight was put on them. Magda did not notice how tight the guard's grip on her wrist was, threatening to cut off all circulation. What she did feel was pain, white hot, burning pain. It was like a fire that burned in her abdomen, its flames reaching to lick her furthest extremities. Her head was pounding and with every beat of her heart, she thought it might explode.

When she was finally tossed inside, Magda was hardly conscious. Despite the heat her body exuded, she was shivering uncontrollably and what images she could see where blurred and beating with her heart. She was crying and whimpering but did not know it.

Two hands grabbed her clothing, pulling her into a sitting position. For a brief moment her sight cleared and she could see Erik. He had new marks on his face, part of his torture no doubt; he would never speak of it but she could tell he was in agony as well. She smiled at him before another pulse of pain had her doubled over. Erik brought her into his arms, holding onto her tightly in some attempt to make it easier on her.

"It hurts," she mumbled into his shirt. "It hurts, Erik."

"It will get better," Erik replied, trying to sound positive. "It always does."

"I can't…I can't do this anymore," she cried. "I just want to die!"

"Don't say that!" Erik shouted, making her face him. "Never say that! I will get you out of here, Magda. I'll protect you, I promise."

This made her quiet a little. Her eyes began to flutter shut as she rested on him once more. "My mother said don't make promises you can't keep."

She was fast asleep by the time Erik spoke again, the darkness being his only witness. "I didn't."

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><p>Erik was just about asleep when the door opened again. The guards had returned and for some reason they looked entertained. He tried to keep them from taking Magda but it only resulted in a backhand across his right cheek. Magda made some unintelligible sound as they yanked her up. She was able to walk on her own again, though only God knew how long that would be the case.<p>

"Come now, girl," he could hear the guard say as the door was shut. "Doctor Bauer is going to let you see your mother today."

There was a beat, one small moment of silence as both Erik and Magda understood his meaning.

"My mother is dead!" Magda began to scream. The sounds of a struggle could be heard. "My mother is dead! Erik!"

"Magda!" Erik rushed to the door and began to pound on it with all his might. He could hear her screams growing more distant as the guards dragged her away, never to be seen again. He began to hit the door harder; he could not let this happen. He promised her. She was not going to die. No one else was going to die because he failed.

The anger in him began to light. Hatred pulsed through his veins, giving him a power he did not know he had. All at once, the door began to give way.

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><p>Magda was strapped to the table again, its cold surface combined with her fear causing her to shiver once again. She looked around frantically for a sign of the doctor but all she could see was the ceiling. He was there, somewhere, watching her. She began to cry. Never again would she see Peter or Erik. She would never get out of here; she would never go home.<p>

"I'm sorry it had to come to this, Magda," Uncle Bauer said, sounding remorseful. The sound of his voice made her cry harder. "But I promise you, we did save lives. Because of you and me, the world is that much closer to perfection." He came around the left side of the table, running his hand along the edge. In his other hand was the dreaded syringe. He moved to inject it into her arm. Magda struggled against the restraints uselessly.

"Ssshh. Don't fight it," he said, resting his free hand on her arm. The needle moved closer and closer to her skin. Magda closed her eyes tightly but after a long while, nothing happened. When she opened them again, she saw the needle just an inch above her flesh and Uncle Bauer struggling to push it, as though something invisible held it.

"No!" someone shouted to her right. Suddenly the syringe flew from his grasp. Uncle Bauer looked in the direction of the shout, afraid yet furious. He had no chance to do anything though as all his work tables, filled with instruments still, flew up into the air and crashed into him, knocking him unconscious on the floor. Magda felt the restraints become undone and she sat up immediately to face one very angry looking Erik.

"How did you-"

"C'mon!" he shouted, clearly not in the talking mood. Magda jumped off the table and grabbed his hand. Together they ran through the hallways as an alarm started to go off. They passed the area where their cell was, a crumpled door lying uselessly in front of it. Her eyes widened and pace quickened as they left the area.

"Do you know the way out?" Magda asked as they turned down another hallway. There were stairs up ahead and pouring from them were armed men. She saw Erik shove his arm forward. All the soldiers began to fall as their helmets started to crush their heads. Magda tried to look away and ignore their screams as they went down the stairs and out a door that led to the dirt road they had entered on.

Erik did not have complete control of his powers. Everywhere they ran, metal began to bend wildly. The fences that held the prisoners were crushed like wads of paper, freeing everyone inside. Guards tried to stop them but they too were either brought to their knees by their rapidly shrinking helmets or by the prisoners themselves when their weapons magically flew from their grasp.

"Where are we going?" Erik still said nothing. He only continued to push forward to the exit, toward the trees in the distance.

Suddenly a soldier who had been knocked down grabbed at Erik's foot, managing to pull him to the ground. Erik shouted, letting go of Magda before she could be dragged down with him. Instantly Magda turned around and began to hit the soldier, trying to get him to let go, but her efforts were cut short as another man ran up and grabbed her. He was not a soldier but instead one of the inmates, one that she recognized.

"Peter, no!" Magda shouted as she grabbed for Erik's hand. Their fingertips brushed lightly one last time before her brother dragged her off into the crowd of escaping people. In one last effort, Erik tried to close the gates just in front of them, causing the metal to twist together in ways the soldiers could not unlock. Magda was safe now.

A few moments later, Erik was surrounded by soldiers, bloody from being beaten by a few. A man in a suit kneeled down before him, a wide grin on his face.

"Very good, Erik," he said, surveying the scene once more. "Our sessions appear to be working. Shall we continue?"

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><p>Reviews are awesome! I like to know what people think, but if not, thanks for reading anyway!<p> 


	3. Found

That took longer than I wanted. Hello everyone and welcome to chapter three! I'd like to thank everyone for the lovely reviews and story alerts! I have so many alerts, I feel a little overwhelmed. The love is appreciated! Okay, this chapter was a little more difficult to write because the beginning is that boring, fill you in kind of stuff but it had to happen and now it's done and we can get to the fun stuff! Enjoy!

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><p><strong>Chapter Three<strong>

**Found**

**14 years later**

**Salzburg, Austria**

Magda awoke to the sound of rain beating heavily on the roof. It made her smile. Rain had always been a pleasant thing. It would drown out the sounds of the camp. No longer would she hear the shouting of guards or the screaming of inmates, only the sweet sound of Mother Nature purifying the world as best she could. OF course as of late it drowned out the silence which she found impossible to sleep to.

Climbing out of bed, Magda opened the window, letting the rain drench her completely. It always meant a sort of freedom to her, whether it was being free from the camp or a boarded up backroom where kind strangers hid her with others. There was no feeling the cool air blow in quietly from the mountains or touching the raindrops as they scattered about the earth. There were only the dark, tight spaces that felt more like a cage than her cell in the camps. Never again would she deny the wind or rain the privilege of going wherever they pleased.

In the distance, she could see the clouds breaking up on the horizon. The sun was starting to rise. And so began another day in her life.

They had gone back home to Germany, her and Peter, when the war had ended. Before then they had simply moved about from safe house to safe house, more afraid than ever before. To return to the camp a second time surely meant death. Fortunately it never came to that.

Home never did feel the same. Magda was not even sure she could call it that anymore. People that were her neighbors had become enemies during the war. How could she trust them now knowing how easily their allegiance swayed? And then there was the obvious: their parents were gone and her hope to find them again was long dead. Their home, which had remained unoccupied during their absence, still felt empty as they lived in it. So many things were unfamiliar. Without either her father or mother using certain objects, they were practically unrecognizable. The smell of cigar smoke had since disappeared from her father's chair. It had never smelled of anything but. No, it was not home.

Peter did not have as difficult a time of adjusting. He found his school sweetheart and married her when Magda was eighteen. At that point if definitely was not home. She tried going to a university, if only to get away from the lovebirds but Magda found herself constantly distracted. She distrusted most of her classmates, believing that they only had the worst intentions in mind and honestly after running for so much of her youth, she had issues with routine. Magda was so used to terrible things happening that she could not relax and enjoy the good.

Eventually she dropped out and took up residence with an old family friend: Gerda Keller. She had watched over them during the war and welcomed her with open arms. It was a nice change of pace, having a mother figure again. Perhaps it was what she had needed all along. Even when Gerda moved to Austria, Magda followed. That was five years ago.

Making her way down the stairs in her work outfit, which consisted of some worn jeans and a dark blouse that she did not mind getting dirty, Magda noted that the house was already empty. Gerda would leave early every day to sell vegetables at the local market, leaving Magda in charge of the house. During the day Magda would tend to the garden, assist the workers that came in to work on the farmland they owned and do any shopping that was needed. It was routine and she did hate it but there seemed to be no escape for her.

Grabbing keys kept by the door, Magda went to unlock the barn. It used to house animals but now it was simply there for storage. The rain had since passed, leaving the world in a slight fog. The ground squished beneath her feet and was the only noise she could hear until she stopped at the barn door, then there was nothing. No birds, no cars. It was not unusual but it still made Magda uncomfortable.

She grabbed the door, noting it was unlocked and sighed, inwardly cursing a certain individual. This was the third time in two weeks. They were fortunate to not have been robbed blind at this point.

As she thought over these things, Magda did not notice a figure sneaking up behind her until they tapped her shoulder, causing her to jump and spin around quickly. She smacked the man, who was now laughing, hard on the arm. He made a slight face indicating it hurt but still continued to laugh.

"Damn you, Markus!" she shouted, hitting him a few more times. "Why must you always do that?"

The blonde haired man smiled. "Because it's far too tempting. You never disappoint." Magda smacked Markus again, prompting another laugh from him. Markus was in charge of the other workers on the farm meaning Magda had to work with him on a regular basis. It annoyed her. The man never took anything seriously and constantly flirted with all the women in the area, herself not excluded. He thought of himself as a ladies' man and the town's women did not help to shut down that line of thinking.

"If you're done now, I have something to talk to you about," Magda said once he had quieted. Markus put his best fake serious look on and stepped forward with an air of mischief. She rolled her eyes. "Did you remember to lock the barn last night?"

"Of course I did," he replied.

"Really? Then why did I find it unlocked when I came out this morning?"

Markus looked at her as though she was joking. Magda gave him a look. He knew she never joked.

"I swear, I locked it last night," Markus said, examining the lock. "I checked it three times just to be safe."

"Then you should have checked it four times." Magda pushed on the barn door, revealing an old tractor on the other side of it. She had to wonder why she was so paranoid about it. No one would be interested in stealing the thing and it made so much noise, she would probably wake up anyway.

"I'm telling you, Magda, the door was locked," Markus continued to argue, climbing onto the tractor. Magda ignored him as she headed toward one of the empty stalls where they kept the gardening tools. As she strode down walkway, hay still lining certain areas from when it was still in use, Magda heard a noise to her right. It was not unusual in nature but was enough for her to turn her head curiously. At first she saw nothing, her eyes having yet to adjust to the darkness, but as she squinted in the noise's general direction, she noticed a figure lying upon a gathered pile of hay.

Magda gasped and took a step back. Almost instantly Markus was at her side, asking her what was wrong. All she did was point and when his gaze followed, he frowned.

Grabbing her arm, he said, "Go call the police." But Magda resisted, yanking her arm from his grip. She began to move closer to the man until Markus dragged her back. "What are you doing?"

"He's hurt," Magda replied, moving forward again. She slapped away his hands as he tried once again to grab her and kneeled by the side of the sleeping man. Markus sighed and grabbed a nearby shovel, prepared to use it if need be.

The man was lying on his side, curled together slightly in either pain or an attempt to keep warm. He was not dressed poorly, as a homeless man might have been, but actually wore fairly nice clothing, save for the dark stain on his shirt. She did not have to get closer to know that it was blood. It made her wonder what the man had been through.

Magda reached out for his face, ignoring the sounds of disapproval Markus made behind her. She brushed stray pieces of brunette locks away from his face, feeling how soaked they were. His face was strained, as though he fought something in his sleep, and his forehead was beaded with sweat. She could not help but think that this man was familiar in some way. And then he opened his eyes. Magda was frozen in place as she watched his blue irises search his surroundings in confusion. She knew those eyes.

When his gaze landed on her, Magda tried to smile in order to make him feel more comfortable but his eyes narrowed in suspicion. He then bolted up faster than she would have thought in his condition, shoving her onto the side of the stall. Magda blinked her eyes a few times to get her senses back and when she did, she saw Markus trying to swing the shovel at the man.

"Markus, no!" Magda reached her hand out as though she had a chance to actually stop was about to happen. To her surprise, though, it did stop, but not by her or Markus' power. It was the man, standing now, holding out his arm. He looked to be having difficulty with the task but he was holding the shovel at bay…without touching it. Then with a simple flick of his wrist, the shovel, along with Markus, went flying to the right. The man ran out while Magda sat there, thinking. It could not have been him but those blue eyes and that undeniable ability.

"Erik," she whispered. It had been ages since she said the name of the boy who saved her life. Though painful, she had long since thought him dead, most likely occurring on that very day he set her on course to freedom. And yet, here he is, or was if she did not catch up to him quickly.

Magda stood and began to run after him. He was halfway to the house when she shouted to him. "Erik!"

Despite what she thought would happen, he stopped. She slowed down to a walk, closing the distance between them until there were only a few feet left. He turned around hesitantly, as though afraid of what he might face but when he looked at her again in the new light, his features softened. A sadness entered his eyes but a relief did as well. He took a step forward and then another, getting rid of the rest of the distance. A tentative hand reached out, stroking the side of her face gently, leaving a warm trail on her cheek and a chill up her spine. A small tear managed to escape her eye.

"Magda." She nodded, smiling. The corners of his lips twitched slightly, as though he were trying but then he sighed. Magda then noticed how terribly pale he was. He dropped instantly. Magda had been able to catch him but he was no longer a boy but a man, and a rather big one at that. She found herself on the ground with him; she placed a hand on his face. He was burning up.

"Markus!" Magda shouted, praying to God that Erik had not managed to knock him unconscious. "Markus!"

"Get away from him, Magda!" Markus shouted as he ran from the barn. "He's dangerous!"

"No, he's not!" Magda countered, managing to lift Erik so the back of his head rested on her shoulder. His eyes opened for a brief moment but quickly rolled up into his skull and closed again. He was in terrible shape. The fact that he had been able to get this far surprised her. "He's my friend."

"Your friend? Magda, he just shoved you into the side of the stall. Let him go, we're calling the police!"

"No! He did not know it was me. That is all. Now help me!" Markus mumbled something under his breath before going to her side and placing Erik's left arm over his shoulder. Magda did the same with his right and together they lifted the wounded man. He was a few inches taller than Markus, making the combined effort of the two of them just enough to move him.

"Where are we putting him?" Markus asked as they entered the house.

"In my room."

"But that requires climbing stairs," Markus said with a groan as he readjusted his grip on Erik.

"Would you rather Gerda come back with a bleeding man on her couch?" This received no response. Together the two of them dragged Erik up the stairs and laid him across her bed. He was quite still and if Magda did not know any better, she would have thought he was already dead. She wet a cloth in the bathroom quickly and placed it across his forehead, staring at him with a sort of desperation. All this time, all these years and she finally had him back only to be on the verge of losing him again.

"Markus," she deadpanned, "If you say anything about him to the authorities, not only will you find yourself out of a job, you'll find that your reputation will never be repairable. Do you understand?" She paid attention long enough to see him nod, a dark look on his face. She did not care what he thought. The only thing that mattered was lying on her bed, fighting for his life.

Magda ran her hand along his cheek now, feeling the slight stubble on its surface. "What happened to you, Erik?"

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><p>Reviews are lovely! Please tell me what you think. Good day to you and thanks for reading!<p> 


	4. In Sickness

Gah! That took way to long to update! I apologize everyone! I also mostly blame Ziggymia123 for leaving for three weeks and taking my inspiration with her. That being said, it might be a bit before I update again. Things are getting rather hectic. See, I'm deploying pretty soon, in a couple of weeks, so I'm getting everything together. However, there is internet where I'm going so don't worry, I'll be updating whilst overseas!

If it makes up for anything, I made this chapter extra long. :D

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><p><strong>Chapter Four<strong>

**In Sickness**

During the course of the day, Magda rarely left Erik's side. The wound, she determined, had been from a gunshot however there was no bullet to be found. She wondered if his gift had anything to do with it. The injury was fairly large, no doubt aggravated by the period of time he spent running. She wished she were able to treat it better or take him to a hospital preferably but something told her the latter was not an option. So for the time being, she had to sit and pray that what she had done was enough.

Markus was not inclined to leave either. He had instructed the other workers to go on without him and then proceeded to sit down in the kitchen and wait. Magda could have sworn she felt his stare through the floorboards.

Occasionally Erik would mumble something in his fever ridden state but none of it ever made sense. The sentences were always fragmented. The most she could pick out was that he was after someone. It did not take her long to figure out whom. She may have never seen him but Doctor Schmidt had left an impression nonetheless. She could still remember every cut and bruise Erik returned with. In fact if she lifted the cloth on his forehead, she could make out a small, white line along his scalp. That had been one of the worst.

The sun was starting to set. Gerda would be back soon. Magda sighed as she realized how doomed this all seemed to be. The old woman would never let him stay here. The fact that she found it better to not take him to the hospital was indication enough that he should be kicked out of the house. If that were the case, then she would leave too. Never again would she leave him defenseless. She owed him too much.

A few minutes later, Magda heard the front door open and the frail voice of the woman she lived with. "Markus? What are you still doing here?"

Magda bolted upright and swore. If he had his way, Erik would be kicked out of the house for certain. Running down the stairs, she nearly bumped into Markus as he carried a few bags for Gerda. The woman in question had gone into the kitchen to wash up, leaving the two alone for the time being.

"Markus, you cannot say anything," Magda whispered, glaring at him because she knew he would try anyway.

"And why not? She deserves to know what is going on in her own house," Markus whispered back, though not quietly enough for Magda. She looked cautiously over to the kitchen, wondering if they had an audience. If there was one thing that Gerda loved most in life, it was gossip. When people whispered, she was drawn like a moth to the flame. There were several people in town who avoided her for such reasons.

"She will when I tell her."

Markus adjusted the bags in his grip. "And are you going to tell her everything?" he asked, putting extra emphasis on the last word. She knew he was referring to Erik's gift. Deny it all she want, there would be no convincing Markus he had not been thrown across the barn by the shovel he had been holding onto.

"Of course not," she hissed. "She would never let him stay."

"Exactly." With that, Markus pushed past her and headed for the kitchen. Magda swore once more before stomping after him, fully intent on keeping Erik's abilities a secret between them. She did not care how accomplished it. One way or another, Markus was going to keep his big mouth shut.

"Gerda, there is a crazy man in your house and-" Markus was cut off when he felt Magda's hand slam across his mouth. Out of the corner of his eye, he watched her come forward, her look threatening death.

"And he is my friend," Magda finished for him as Gerda turned around. She took her hand off his mouth slowly, knowing she could not keep it there forever, as much as she felt she needed to.

"Markus is just a little upset from earlier. He gave him quite a scare," Magda continued, staring Markus down, daring him to do something.

The man smiled, seeming to admit defeat. "Yes, his presence certainly threw me."

Magda's eyes widened momentarily but she bit her tongue. There was no need to make it worse. Instead she watched Gerda look at them in clear confusion. She put down the rag in her hands and walked up to them.

"What on earth are you two talking about?"

"His name is Erik Lehnsherr," Magda started, "We found him in the barn. He is hurt badly and has a fever now. And despite what Markus says, he is not crazy. I know him."

Gerda was silent a moment but then nodded, moving past them back toward the stairs. "I will see what I can do." Both Magda and Markus turned around, looks of surprise etched on both of their faces. Neither had really expected Gerda to go along with it, especially so quickly. Clearly there was more to this woman than either of them thought. "And put down those bags already, Markus. I'm not paying you to stay later."

Magda smiled, moving past Markus but not before slamming the heel of her shoe into his foot. Markus swore, juggling the bags for a few moments before gaining control again. She heard him mumble something as she made her way to the stairs but hardly cared about what he said. He was out of her hair, at least for now. That was good enough for her.

When Magda entered her room, Gerda was already sitting at Erik's side, looking him over. The woman said nothing as she drew closer, curious as to what she was doing. There was a grave look on Gerda's face as she looked over the wound. She then began to wrap it up again, as deftly as a woman half her age would. Her hand then moved to his face, feeling his sweat soaked skin. Erik seemed to shiver under her touch. It made Magda want to cry, seeing him as weak as he was.

Gerda smiled slightly. "He certainly is handsome."

Magda raised an eyebrow but remained silent, drawing closer to the two. She had not exactly paid attention to his looks considering the situation and honestly would have been a bit ashamed of herself if she had. But now, seeing as how it had been brought up, Magda took a good look at Erik. The way his brow creased, his strong jaw line and of course those blue eyes of his. They were all quite beautiful, those traits. He was tall and lean, not scrawny. Even now she could make out the muscles hiding beneath his shirt.

"I guess you are right," Magda said, leaning down to brush the hair from his face again. He certainly was no longer a boy and to be honest, part of her was a little disappointed at the thought, though it was small to say the least.

"This is very unlike you, Magda," Gerda whispered after a while, "hiding a man from the world."

Magda looked at her. "How do you know?"

She smiled again. "It is not that hard to figure out. He would be in a hospital if you weren't so concerned about him."

"He's not dangerous," Magda blurted out, prepared to say and do anything to prove it.

Gerda chuckled. "I know he is not. In fact, he reminds me of my husband. During the first war, he was a soldier, but he did not want to be. We found him in the woods behind our house and hid him. We understood why he did not want to fight. It makes me wonder what this young man is running from."

Looking upon his face, Magda could remember those days in the camp. As few as there had been, they were the most horrible days of her life and there were times when she could feel every minute of them, such as now. And yet, these memories were not as bad as they usually were. It seemed that Erik was still there to comfort her, even if he was not aware of it.

"Ghosts," Magda replied, though it had not really been a question. "He is running from ghosts."

Gerda looked up at her but did not comment. She stood then and headed for the door. "This is going to be a long night for him. He will need you. And if you need me, you know where I am."

Magda smiled at the woman. "Thank you, Gerda."

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><p>The sun had set a long time ago and the house had fallen silent save for Erik, who began to mumble even more now. Sometimes he would speak in other languages. She had counted about four already. It made her wonder what he had been up to all of these years. She could hardly get a grasp on the English language, which she had tried to learn in school.<p>

He would toss and turn every now and then. Magda would try to hold him down but what good was it? He was much larger than her. She seemed to be no more than an insect he was swatting at. She felt so useless and hated being that way. There had to be something she could do to help him but there was nothing she could come up with.

Magda went downstairs for a brief moment. She wanted to get clean wash clothes for him. It was when she was soaking one in the sink that it happened.

There were dishes that had not been done yet. Normally Magda would have tended to them but obviously she had been a little busy that day. While she focused on the water streaming out of the faucet, Magda could not help but notice movement out of the corner of her eye. She turned to the right and gasped, nearly falling over. There was a knife floating in midair. It did not do anything else, just sat still at the same level as her eyes. She reached a tentative finger out and poked it, noticing how easily it moved at her touch. Becoming braver, she grabbed the knife and put it back on the counter. However at that point there were more things floating in the room and Magda could hear the other utensils shaking in their drawers.

Running back upstairs as fast as she could, Magda burst into her room. Anything metal that was inside was floating somewhere. There was jewelry scattered about, the handles from her dresser had been pulled out and even the doorknob had become a victim.

"My God," Magda whispered, taking a moment to stare in awe at what she could only call magic. Then she remembered why it was happening. Choosing to ignore the thought of how she did not notice any of this starting, Magda rushed to Erik's side. He was drenched in sweat, more so than before, and appeared to be having a nightmare of sorts.

She ran her hand along his forehead. It was like he was on fire. She kept it there, assuming that it must have felt much cooler than what he was experiencing right now. He was mumbling in another language again. From what she could tell, it was Spanish. How she wished she knew what he was saying! Maybe she would not be so helpless then.

Magda saw the doorknob fly out the window, breaking the glass as it did so. She winced. Something had to be done before Erik tore the entire house apart. Taking a breath, Magda leaned in close, putting her mouth right by his ear. She hoped this got through.

"Erik? Erik, can you hear me?" Of course there was no verbal response but a change came over his face, suggesting that he could. "It's me, Erik. It's Magda. You saw me earlier today, remember?" She would pause every now and then, checking for any kind of reaction. "You're safe now. No one is going to hurt you so I need you to stop. Can you do that, Erik? I need you to stop right now."

There was a brief moment of what appeared to be concentration on his face and then he suddenly relaxed. His entire body went limp, as though the nightmare had ended and he had found the peace of dreamless slumber. Magda smiled until all the objects that had been floating collapsed around her, the clatter so loud she could have sworn half the city heard it. She yelped a little when it happened, especially when one of the handles landed on her head. Magda then cupped her mouth with her hand, turning in the direction of Gerda's room. Of course, when she checked, the old woman was fast asleep. For a moment, part of her considered that she was dead but Gerda had always insisted she could sleep through a bombing. Perhaps it was true.

Picking up all the stray objects, Magda put them on the bureau for the time being, not in the mood to deal with organization. She smiled at Erik, happy at how peaceful he had become. Perhaps he would pull through after all. She moved to his side once more, whispering a thank you in his ear before retreating downstairs, certain that there was a mess to be cleaned up.

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><p>Magda was not in the mood for Markus' attitude in the morning. She gave him a simple glare and watched him move on. No doubt she looked like death, having been up all night. The damage from Erik's fever had not been too bad at least. Most of the dishes had to be cleaned and a sofa cushion that had found itself as target practice for the forks needed to be repaired, but other than that nothing was out of place for Gerda to notice when she woke up. Magda also checked on Erik constantly. His fever seemed to have broken sometime in the night, which was a good sign. Hopefully he would be awake soon, though she was not sure what they would do then.<p>

As Magda took a sip from her third cup of coffee, she began to ponder this. Clearly he remembered her and it must have made him happy to some extent, considering his reaction. She touched her cheek, feeling the warmth of his hand again. Two weeks of their lives they had spent together and now fourteen years later it was like nothing had changed, except everything had. They had grown up and gone their separate paths, undoubtedly thinking they would never see one another again. He would not stay long, especially if whoever gave him that gunshot was still after him.

There was another thing that bothered her. Why was he shot? What was he possibly doing that could get him injured like that? Although she had said he was not dangerous to them, she was concerned with how dangerous he was to others. Of course, she doubted she would get any word of the subject out of him. If he was still like that young boy in Auschwitz, he was stubborn as hell.

She smiled as she raised the mug to her lips again.

"I thought you were a dream," a calm voice spoke from by the stairway. Magda jumped, dropping the mug and spilling coffee on the table. There, leaning against the railing, was Erik. He had one arm against it while his free hand gently held his wrapped side. While he did not look as pale as before, frankly he still appeared to be close to collapsing at any moment. She wondered how he even managed to pull himself out of bed.

"What are you doing up?" Magda asked, rushing over to him. "You're going to hurt yourself more. Please, Erik, get back to bed." She tried to lead him away, though Erik did not seem inclined to agree. However, in his state, he was not exactly capable of stopping anyone. A gust of wind might have been good enough to knock him over.

Erik winced as she slapped his hand away from his side. He was only wearing his slacks and a white tank now. Magda wondered how he had managed to get his shirt off but did not bother asking. She checked to make sure he was not bleeding and then attempted to move him back upstairs.

"Wait, wait," Erik said, trying to push her away. He rested both his hands on her shoulders. They were large enough to completely engulf them, making Magda feel even tinier in his presence. His blue eyes began to search hers and suddenly she felt very self conscious. Even so, she could not tear her eyes from his. They were without a doubt the most beautiful part about him though the smile that suddenly came across his face tried its best to outshine them. He moved a hand to her cheek. "So you really are here."

Magda nodded, placing her hand on his. She enjoyed the feel of his skin on hers. "Of course I am," she said with a smile. "You're in too much pain to be dreaming."

When Erik's eyes clouded over, Magda knew she had said something wrong and instantly regretted it. The air in the room seemed to change instantly, the feeling similar to the time they were in the camp.

"I wish that were true," Erik mumbled, looking down a moment. His hands began to slip back to his side but Magda grabbed them, squeezing tightly. He looked back up at her, an unbearable sadness now concentrated in his eyes, making them so much darker than they actually were.

"This is real, Erik, I promise you." He smiled again, much more softly this time, until his gaze locked on something that was clearly behind her. A very serious look came over him, causing Magda to turn out of curiosity. Markus had entered the kitchen. It seemed that she could not hear anything these days. He had a rather sour look on his face and seemed to be ready to do something rash. Instead he turned and left again. Magda did not doubt she would hear from him later.

"Something I should be worried about?" Erik asked, his eyes still fixed on the spot where Markus once stood.

"No, he's harmless," Magda replied, turning back to him. "Come now. You need to get back in bed."

Together they slowly made their way back up the stairs. Magda was satisfied when he was at least seated on the bed, though she wished he would lie down. He looked around the room for a moment, as though he had not taken the time to when he had first woken up. His gaze paused when it landed on the pile of metal objects.

"Did I do that?" he asked, as though he really did not believe it.

Magda smiled, sitting beside him. "Well, I won't say you didn't."

For a long time they sat in silence, neither of them really knowing what to do or say. It had been so long, so many things had happened. Where were they supposed to start?

"I heard you last night," Erik said after a long time. Magda looked at him, not understanding. "I don't know where I was but then I heard your voice. You saved me, Magda."

"Erik, you are the only one who has done any saving," Magda replied, trying to tear her gaze away but finding she could not.

"That's not true, believe me."

Magda did not know what he meant then, perhaps she never would, but at that moment she did not care.

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><p>Reviews fuel the muse and the soul. Please and thank you!<p> 


	5. Anger

I'm sorry! I know it's taken me forever to update! I apologize! Things have been a little unstable. I'm deployed now. Helllooooo Kuwait! But now I've got it back together and will hopefully go back to updating regularly.

So…I think this is my favorite chapter so far. I rewrote the ending several times and I think I finally found one I like. I hope you guys like it too!

Random note, I have a twitter. Link is on my profile if you have interest. If I take forever to update, ya'll can cuss me out or something.

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><p><strong>Chapter Five<strong>

**Anger**

Erik had been with them a little over a week now. In that amount of time, he and Magda had rarely been apart. They spoke for hours about anything and everything as though they had known each other for years rather than days. Most of the subjects were about her though every now and then she chipped off a piece of his thick shell and got a glimpse of the man within.

He was not accustomed to smiling, she could tell and he laughed more now than any other time in his life since before the war. It was a sad thing. She enjoyed hearing his laughter. It was comforting in a way.

Her friend healed rapidly, leaving Gerda speechless. Then again, it may have been because the old woman was quite smitten with the man. He was polite and charming around her, though the opposite could be said for Markus. Magda was still not certain about what he would do but if the little rivalry between him and Erik continued, they would either fight or Markus would get someone else to do it for him. Even without his powers, Erik could easily take the boy and he knew this. Still, Markus' overinflated ego kept him from doing anything safe.

Magda sat at the table, rubbing her neck gently. Since she refused to let Erik give her bed back, she had been sleeping on the couch. It was not exactly uncomfortable but she always woke up stiff.

Markus entered the room quietly. He would normally burst in with some obnoxious form of good morning but ever since Erik had arrived, he had been silent. It was strange how one man could change his demeanor so quickly. Magda was starting to miss the old Markus, though the lack of flirting was nice.

Feeling his eyes on her, Magda looked up. Markus appeared to be giving her a once over, something that made her feel extremely uneasy.

"So, you dress nice for him, hmm?"

Magda looked herself over. She was wearing a long, brown skirt with a sleeved red shirt. It was not stylish to say the least nor did she have any problem with getting it dirty. Markus just seemed to think everything she did was a crime now.

"Sounds like jealousy to me," Magda replied, taking a sip from her coffee.

Markus mumbled something under his breath, a habit that had taken a strong hold of him, and sat across from her.

"More like concern," he stated, sounding not the least bit like it. "I don't trust him."

"Well, you have made that quite obvious." Magda stood up, moving to the sink to clean out her cup. If all they were going to talk about was Erik, they may as well never have a conversation again.

"I'm serious, Magda!" Markus shouted, not getting up from his seat. "From what I can tell, you two knew each other a very long time ago for only a few days. Face it, you know as much about him as I do."

"No, Markus, you know nothing about him." Magda turned around to face him. "Do you know what happened those days we were together? We were in Auschwitz. Remember that name?"

Markus nodded slightly, a little pale.

"We may have not known each other long but together we went through more than you could ever imagine. I may not know what he has done over the years but I knew who he was deep inside. That part can never change." With that, Magda stormed out of the room, unable to put up with Markus any longer. She slammed open the front door and marched outside, pacing around the front yard until she cooled down and her thoughts were under control once again. It annoyed her how easily Markus got under her skin but if he was going to accuse Erik of wrongdoing, she was not about to stand for it.

She stopped, leaning on the nearby fence post. He had not exactly accused Erik of anything, she realized as she mulled over the thoughts again. All he had really ever said was that he did not trust him and the longer she thought about it, the more he had a point. True, she did know who Erik was deep inside but how buried that part had become was a matter she had no knowledge of. How much of him was the man she knew and how much was something completely different?

Magda kicked the post, mumbling under her breath, "I hate it when he's right."

Unwilling to face Markus and give him the thrill of victory, Magda walked around the side of the house. The garden had gone ignored the past couple days and she thought to finally tend to it when she heard a shout come from the direction of the barn. Magda jumped and for a moment expected to see Markus come around the corner, laughing at how jumpy she was. However, he was nowhere to be found.

Curious, Magda moved to the barn, poking her head through the slight opening in the door. What she found was a very frustrated looking Erik with beads of sweat dripping down his face and his arms extended in the direction of the tractor. She could have sworn there was a slight metallic creaking coming from the machine but other than that it was lifeless.

Erik dropped his arms suddenly, panting as though he had just been on a long run. He bent at the waist, bracing his hands on his knees, and stared ahead at the tractor, giving it a glare she would hate to be the recipient of.

"Why isn't this working!"

Magda stole inside and leaned against the doorframe, a small smile playing on her lips. He reminded her of a child throwing a fit. She watched him stew a few moments longer before offering her opinion on it all.

"You're trying too hard."

Erik snapped up and looked at her, his surprise not enough to quell the anger pulsing through his body.

"What?" he asked, his tone still angered.

She knew he did not mean to be so harsh but Magda was still put off by it. Her response was slow as she waited for him to calm, watching his breath start to ease and the look on his face soften as he realized how he had come across. She knew he was not happy much but she never realized how much anger he held. And this was only a taste of it.

"I said you're trying too hard," Magda replied, quieter. "You've been sick and despite how fast you've healed, you're still weak. Try something smaller."

He looked skeptical. "Smaller?"

Shaking her head, Magda undid the two small earrings in her ears and offered them to him.

Erik raised an eyebrow. "You can't be serious."

In response, she stepped forward, grabbed his hand and shoved her earrings into his palm. He stared at her a long while and she tried very hard not to laugh at the expression on his face. It was like she had insulted his intelligence.

Sighing, Erik held his palm out, displaying the two small earrings. For a while, he simply stared at them, a very intense look on his face. Magda was not sure which she wanted to watch more. Then he closed his eyes and seemed to relax.

All at once she saw it. The two earrings began to lift into the air, first a few centimeters, then a few inches. They began to twirl around one another as though they were partners in dance, using each other's movements to compliment their own. She heard herself gasp, not in fear but in awe. True, she had seen his power before but never so calm, so in control. It was absolutely beautiful.

While Magda watched her earrings, Erik watched her. Never before had he seen someone react in such a way to his power. He had seen fear, anger and cruel satisfaction but this was something else, something so innocent and pure. He pictured a child discovering something wondrous for the first time, so enamored that they hardly took their eyes off of it lest it disappeared. And indeed she was greatly transfixed for she had yet to notice him scrutinizing her, though his gaze was so intense she may as well have been slapped in the face by it.

The lack of fear in Magda woke something in him. It felt almost like contentment, borderline bliss. However lovely the days he had spent with her were, this was the first time he felt completely open and at ease, like he did not have to hide anything. His anger from earlier began to melt away, leaving only tranquility in its wake. It was then that his power, resistant before, returned to him with a newfound strength, flowing through his body as freely as water in the river. It pulsated through his finger tips and made his hairs stand on end. It felt good to not be weak anymore.

All around the barn, a scraping sound could be heard. Magda finally ripped her eyes away from the earrings and looked around. Anything metallic began to float in the air. Gardening tools, horseshoes, nails, anything not bolted to the ground began their own dance in the air. She looked to Erik, noting how calm he appeared, how it did not seem to affect him in the least bit when moments before he had struggled with less results.

She began to laugh suddenly, unable to contain the joy that was swelling within her. And not long after, Erik joined her. His laugh was hearty and deep, not some passing chuckle at a funny moment but a similar expression of happiness. It was now that she could see him, the man he really was, the one he hidden away from the world. This may have been more amazing than any power he possessed.

The sound of splintering wood caught their attention. Magda glanced quickly at Erik before taking off in its direction, paying little mind to the objects around her slowly drifting back to the ground. In the back corner of the barn, a small trap door had broken open. Inside of it was a safe, its door wide open as well, a result of Erik's powers obviously. She tilted her head curiously, knowing nothing of a safe Gerda kept in the barn. All of her valuables were locked in the house.

Squinting, she could make out the details of what appeared to be several shiny bricks in a bag. Reaching inside, Magda grabbed one of them, noting how heavy it was. She examined its smooth exterior, slowly realizing that she was holding a brick of gold. A chill swept through her body as her fingers grazed over the Nazi insignia carved into its surface.

Erik's footsteps approached behind her. "What is it?"

Magda said nothing. She stood and turned around, offering the brick to Erik with a solemn look on her face.

The air changed in an instant. Gone were the feelings of happiness and joy; his anger had returned tenfold. She could hear the tractor creaking again, only this time it was because the parts were bending in ways they should not. His eyes were wide, focused on the gold, nostrils flared and his breathing had grown heavy again.

"Erik?" Magda spoke softly, afraid that anything louder may set him off.

"Is this hers?" he asked, voice practically unrecognizable. "Magda, is this hers?"

Magda jumped when Erik raised his voice at her. "No…no, it can't be. She hasn't been in here for years."

Looking unconvinced, Erik walked over to the safe. He picked up the bag, which looked quite heavy, with the greatest of ease and made a beeline for the barn doors. Magda followed, having to jog to keep up with his long strides. "Erik, what are you doing?" No answer. "Erik!"

"Finding answers!" he shouted as he stormed through the back door. Hearing a shriek, Magda took off at a dead run, bolting through the door to find Gerda facing away from the sink, a broken glass at her feet. It appeared that she had only been startled by Erik's sudden appearance, much to her relief.

He tossed the bag on the table, the impact of it making loose items in the room shake. Gerda's gaze flickered to it. Her eyes seemed to widen slightly at the sight of it and her mouth formed a small o shape. Magda looked between the two, waiting to see who would react first. She was on edge and wondered where Markus was, praying he would not show up to this.

"Where did you get these?" Erik asked sternly.

Gerda shook her head, beginning to tremble. "They're not…I…I've never seen them before."

Erik slammed his hand down on the table, causing both women to jump. "Don't tell me they're not yours! Don't tell me they've been sitting in your barn without your knowledge! This is Nazi gold, what's left of my people and you're going to tell me how you got it!"

"Don't do this, Erik!" Magda shouted but she may as well have not spoken. Her words fell on deaf ears.

"I swear…I swear I know nothing about them," Gerda said, her voice as shaky as her body. A hand clutched her heart and for a moment Magda was convinced she was going to collapse.

His hand hit the table again. "That's not good enough!"

The drawers and cabinets began to shake as Erik's powers started to affect anything metal in the room. Gerda looked around, petrified. She began to shrink against the counter, holding it with a white knuckled grip lest she fell. Magda wanted to interfere but all she did was watch, somehow glued in place. His anger had taken complete control now. She was not sure how to calm the beast within.

One of the drawers flew open. A large steak knife began to float in the air, making its way toward Gerda. The woman began to mumble prayers, closing her eyes as she tried to move away from it. In that moment, Magda found herself able to move again. She darted past Erik and the knife, putting herself between it and Gerda. The knife crept forward, stopping a few inches from her neck. Magda stared it down, hiding the fear she felt within.

"Stop!" Magda shouted, putting as much force into it as she could. "She! Doesn't! Know!"

Erik glared at her for a very long time. He reminded her of some kind of animal that had been on a rampage, sitting at the edge of his anger, about to tip over into something else. Suddenly he looked away from her, his eyes scanning the ground quickly. His shoulders sank, stance resembling someone broken now, guilt ridden perhaps. The knife fell to the ground with a clatter and Magda sighed, closing her eyes. She suddenly felt very tired.

"I'm sorry," he mumbled. She knew it was not for Gerda.

"What…kind of monster…are you?" The woman asked between unsteady breaths.

Opening her eyes again, Magda looked at Erik. He did not do anything but his body was suddenly tense again. She could see the hatred in his eyes, being referred to as some kind of freak. He suddenly shot a look at Gerda. "A demon from Hell."

With that response, Gerda suddenly crossed herself, an act she had never seen the woman do. Stepping away from her, Madga walked beside Erik. She gently placed a hand on his shoulder, pulling away for a second when he flinched. She then replaced it, moving around his side to get a good look at his face. The anger still lingered in his eyes but he also looked confused. He was at a loss.

"It's okay, Erik," she whispered softly.

The confusion in his eyes grew. "How can you say that?"

She did not know the answer. Magda opened her mouth to say just that when she saw Erik looking at something behind her. Looking over her shoulder, she saw Markus standing in the doorway, a shotgun in hand. Just as she turned to him, he pumped it and took aim.

"Markus, what are you doing?" Magda asked, allowing Erik to situate himself in front of her. She grabbed his arm to keep him from going any further. He may very well have been able to manipulate metal but that had not kept him from getting shot before.

Markus did not reply, but Gerda spoke. "Get out of my house, monster."

Erik did not turn to her. In fact, he did nothing for a few moments; he only stared at the floor. Magda watched him curiously, as did the others. His sudden stillness might have been the most terrifying thing she had ever seen from him.

Suddenly he began to chuckle. He looked up at Markus and opened his hand, his power ripping the shotgun from his grip. Then Erik stepped forward and swung the gun at him, landing the butt of it squarely on his jaw. Markus collapsed onto the floor, unconscious. The shotgun then proceeded to dismember itself, falling onto the floor as useless pieces.

"Not a problem, Gerda," Erik said, a polite smile now on his face. He grabbed the bag of gold and proceeded out the door as though it were business as usual. Magda watched him leave, not going after him and saying nothing. She then looked at Markus on the floor.

"Do they belong to him?" she asked, her voice low and distant. There was only silence. "Gerda, I kept him from killing you, I think I deserve the truth!"

When she looked at her, Gerda nodded. "His father was in the S.S. He left it to him when he passed. It's the only thing that keeps the farm afloat."

Magda felt like she was going to be sick. She even covered her mouth to be safe. When the feeling passed, she looked at Gerda, hatred boiling in her veins.

"Did you not hear what Erik said? That gold is what's left of our people and you're…you're using it to pay your taxes!" She grabbed a nearby glass and threw it on the floor, breaking it with a shout. "I trusted you! You were all I had! My parents trusted you! That gold could be made of their melted belongings. My father's watch. My mother's necklace. But all you see are dollar signs! You're no better than the people who did this to us."

Gerda looked like she was about to cry. She wouldn't dare. "I'm sorry, Magda. I truly am."

Magda shook her head. "No, you're not."

She left then, walking over Markus to get into the living room. Ripping her jacket off the nearby coat rack, Magda stepped outside for the last time. It did not take her long to find Erik. He was standing by Gerda's car, unlocking it without the key.

"I'm coming with you," Magda said as she stood next to him.

At first, Erik looked amused by it but then he shook his head. "I can't let you do that."

"Do you expect me to stay here after everything that happened?" Erik opened his mouth to reply but then shut it, knowing she had a point. "I'm not asking to stay with you. If you could just…take me to my brother, then you can leave. You don't have to see me again after that."

Erik looked hurt. "What makes you think I don't want to see you?"

"It's not about what you want," Magda replied, placing her hand on his. "Whatever you've been doing all these years, I can't be a part of it, and you know that." She took a step closer to him, feeling his breath on her face.

"You're an angry man, Erik, and as much as I want to help you, I don't think you'll let me."

* * *

><p>Okay, so my two favorite parts in this chapter were Magda and Erik in the barn and then when Erik threatened Gerda. I just really, really loved how I wrote them and I would love to know what you think about them.<p>

Have a nice day! Thanks for reading!


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